TARI warns land practices threaten blue economy

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) has warned that unsustainable agricultural practices are threatening marine and coastal ecosystems, with soil erosion, chemical runoff and excessive water use contributing to the degradation of resources vital to the blue economy.

The institute has called for wider adoption of sustainable farming solutions, including climate-resilient crops, environmentally friendly pest management and efficient irrigation, to reduce pressure on aquatic ecosystems while improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods.

TARI Director General Dr Thomas Bwana made the remarks during a side event held alongside the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Nairobi Convention (COP12) in Dar es Salaam.

He said the close connection between landscapes and seascapes meant that efforts to conserve marine ecosystems could not succeed if land-based activities affecting them were overlooked.

“There is a direct connectivity between landscape and seascape. Sometimes when we are in international meetings, we speak about the seascape, but the seascape entirely depends on what is happening in the landscape,” he said.

Dr Bwana said the targets of Vision 2050 could only be achieved if agricultural productivity increased through the adoption of appropriate technologies developed through research.

He said agriculture was expected to contribute between 30 and 40 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generate significant foreign exchange and provide 80 to 90 per cent of raw materials required by industries, while creating employment for a large proportion of the population.

He said the scale of agricultural activity made it essential to ensure that production methods did not undermine marine and coastal ecosystems.

Dr Bwana cited declining prawn catches as an example of the need to examine the relationship between land-based activities and the condition of marine ecosystems.

He said research had raised questions about the assumption that overfishing alone was responsible for the decline in prawn populations, pointing instead to factors including mangrove clearance, soil erosion and agricultural runoff.

“From the research perspective, we are thinking that this could be one of the reasons. Mangrove ecosystems form the nursery for fish growth, but there has been disturbance there which has affected biomass, density and diversity,” he said.

He said clearing mangroves for rice farming, settlement and other activities, combined with soil erosion and the use of agricultural fertilisers, could result in sediments and pollutants being carried into rivers and eventually into the sea.

Dr Bwana said the situation demonstrated the need to rethink conservation approaches by strengthening the management of inland and agricultural activities instead of concentrating solely on marine ecosystems.

ALSO READ: Tanzania calls for competitive blue economy

He said TARI was developing technologies aimed at reducing pressure on marine and coastal ecosystems while improving agricultural productivity and farmers’ livelihoods.

The technologies include climate-resilient crop varieties, pest- and disease-resistant crops, biopesticides, improved soil and nutrient management, efficient irrigation, alternative livelihoods and digital and precision farming technologies.

Dr Bwana said improved irrigation could significantly reduce the amount of water used in rice production, noting that farmers often applied more water than necessary.

“For rice, people believe that we need to put a lot of water, up to 20 centimetres, but in principle we need about two centimetres to grow rice,” he said.

He said reducing excessive water use and agricultural chemicals would help minimise runoff reaching downstream ecosystems.

TARI is also promoting biopesticides as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional pesticides while developing crop varieties that require fewer pesticide applications.

Dr Bwana further called for stronger collaboration between agricultural researchers, blue economy stakeholders and other partners to develop demanddriven technologies addressing environmental challenges affecting both landscapes and seascapes.

“With all that we have in the seascape, we need to improve our activities in the landscape,” he said.

He proposed that future discussions on the blue economy should give greater attention to land-based activities and agricultural research as part of efforts to protect marine and coastal ecosystems.